“I can hear those champagne bottle corks popping in Moscow — like it’s Christmas every fucking day": US Politics, February 2024

Frogbs has it right. The president is about one two-millionth of the government. He doesn't go over to the FDA to approve drugs. He doesn't go over to USDA to inspect beef. He doesn't put on a helmet to go invade Afghanistan (or whatever). He is not auditing your tax return.

The only reason to vote is to keep the ball moving in the right direction (slightly better outcomes, among what is achievable).

Yep. The issue isn’t about his governing. It’s about whether he can get reelected. It’s a binary answer (theoretically at least …), and we’ll find out soon enough. It’s on him and his campaign to make it happen.

Make the president a figurehead again

seems like this should be a story

NEW: An anti-Biden FBI informant fed the bureau lies about Joe Biden and Hunter Biden during the 2020 presidential race, according to a new indictment. https://t.co/x7hv6rCafn

— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) February 15, 2024

Time to put Smirnov... on ice

So surprised the October surprise was an October Surprise.

but what about russian nuclear death star thing? that's the REAL story

and more...

This is the most chaotic, inefficient and ineffective majority we’ve seen in decades covering Congress. It started this way under former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and has gotten worse under Johnson.

And things aren’t going to get easier. The House is leaving town today by 2:30 p.m.…

— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) February 15, 2024

Ooohhhh child, thing ain't gonna get easier

The 52-year-old Louisiana Republican — speaker for just 113 days — is a very pleasant man.

Lies.

But he and his top aides, most of whom are new to the leadership, have still failed to get a feel for governing successfully.

Pretty sure a barely functioning government with occasional oopsie shutdowns is their idea of successful governing with a Democratic President.

The only reason to vote is to keep the ball moving in the right direction (slightly better outcomes, among what is achievable).

― fleetwood macrame (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, February 15, 2024 12:13 PM bookmarkflaglink

Yes, and the power to nominate federal judges to lifetime appointments. The judges nominated by Trump who got confirmed are bad enough. I had a flashback to some of the nominees who didn't.

whew

https://i.imgur.com/RqnAoG3.jpg

thanks peggy

at least she put forward alternatives:

"This is what Democrats argue: There is nobody else. But there is. Here we summon the usual names, starting with the Gs—Gov. Gavin Newsom, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. Add Jared Polis, Josh Shapiro, all the candidates of the 2020 primary. There is no Biden movement within the party that would bolt without him, no Biden cult that must be appeased."

I'm glad I don't have a subscription to the WSJ so I don't have to read that. I think it's less likely that we win if Biden opts out now. There will be too much chaos. There is a huge base of voters who will be turned off, and I don't think most of those people, as much as I like them, can win starting now.

and Peggy Noonan has a genuine interest in whom the Dems nominate.

I can hear those champagne bottle corks popping like it’s Christmas every fucking day, oh my! but i don't know what to do with the tossed salad and scrambled eggs

they're callin again

Peggy Noonan’s fun when she hates the candidate:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzvDT0xC4EI

I was just looking up how old Martin Scorsese is, and it turns out he's three days older than Biden.

https://www.wpr.org/news/evers-signs-new-maps-into-law-ending-wisconsin-redistricting-lawsuit

New state legislative maps in WI.

That's a victory and therefore sweet. My hope is that voter anger toward the WI republican party's arrogance has been slowly growing over the past decade as the public keeps seeing their egregious behavior. That would be just as much of a positive as this latest development.

this is nice, as I understand it this affects where I live

Are you in or near Kenosha? Can't remember. Big primary there today, right?

Meanwhile:

I’m sure the parking lot these two losers had lined up somewhere upstate NY will be devastated because no way in hell they were playing anywhere in NYC pic.twitter.com/IKFjkmdpjA

— Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) February 19, 2024

I’m going to NY to make real estate deals to counter this

I'm seeing references to posts from lots of losers "boycotting" New York. Like, I dunno, asshats like Scott Baio being all, "I refuse to appear in any huge Broadway musical until the verdict against Trump is voided," or hilarious shit like that.

lol

How will NY state ever survive

The Tonys Love Chachi

I'd say we are already seeing side benefits from the verdict.

Wall Street definitely about to move to Plano, any day now.

We don't need your Stock Exchange...we've got the Rock Exchange! (Fireworks explode, laser light show of penis going into a hot dog bun)

Are you in or near Kenosha? Can't remember. Big primary there today, right?

nah, Sheboygan...90 minutes away

Wow, my wife's family is from Sheboygan. Nice town.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWu677TkXOc

Apparently the You Can’t Cancel America Tour meme is fake.

I think the tour is just called the Rock the Country Festival Tour, with just a few dates in smaller southern cities.

I love Sheboygan, as fun to say out loud as it is to visit.

if fake, fine.

But have they considered Four Seasons Landscaping?

https://cf.geekdo-images.com/UpkK7w2wJTJYGxApuMAhdQ__imagepage/img/fR6gfGgpTtQz8j8lU0d4iK_CHtQ=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic579229.jpg

I dunno, Sheboygan looks kinda scary

The Alabama Supreme Court coming for IVF is going to make things worse in with consequences they can’t see, but that’s kinda expected by now.

Degrading society and harming otherwise innocent people without tangible benefit to anyone is always justified if it is in service to your 'moral principles and values'.

I timidly hope kingfish is right... in that completely insane extremism may result in a backlash that reestablishes something a little closer to humane sanity.

That said, humane sanity is in short supply lately. I would very much like it to return.

Not, personally, a big fan of the Trotskyite position (roughly, "the worse things get the better they get"). But I don't know how to fix Alabama and it is very much not my job to do so.

My hope is that folks who are in difficulty get the help they need. It is clearly not going to come from Judge Holy.

You remember a sane time? I don't. Was it between the Chatterley ban and the Beatles' first LP?

Times are always shitty. The best we can do is to do good or at least suffer no evil.

I keep telling people that. For some reason, they keep telling me I'm an asshole.

I don't think it's unreasonable to suggest that things have gotten noticeably more insane since 2016, doesn't mean everything was great before, just that the shittiness has accelerated.

Sure. But I've never known some level of insanity from the GOP.

Racism and xenophobia run through US history like a mighty river of revolting sludge.

So surprising for a country founded on slavery and genocide.

Everything's gotten worse since the polarizing Obama Presidency

Why did he have to divide us?

Thanks, Obummer